On 18 July, the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen’s death, the Bank of England revealed a new £10 bearing the image of one of Britain’s most enduring authors. Austen joins Winston Churchill, who has been honoured on the £5 note since September 2016, and the artist JMW Turner, whose portrait will adorn the £20 note … Continue reading “Honouring Jane Austen”
Two hundred years after her death, Jane Austen remains one of Britain’s best-loved authors. Yet in her short lifetime, she was unknown. Austen was born in 1775 in Hampshire, the seventh of eight children of a vicar. She had a happy childhood and youth in a family that read books aloud to each other and … Continue reading “Remembering Jane Austen”
Go along to lectures on Jane Austen and Shakespeare in Paris, or catch up online. All for free! As part of the Sorbonne’s Summer University course don’t miss two lectures on English literature, in English: 18 July 6-7.30 p.m. “Jane Austen on the Tourist Trail” by English Literature professor Nicola Watson from the Open University. … Continue reading “Jane Austen and Shakespeare Lectures in Paris”
The Crown offers a fabulous insight in the British government in the second half of the twentieth century. The Netflix TV series could have just been a story of princesses and princes, crowns, palaces and fabulous dresses. And it is that, to a certain extent. But it also continues an examination of how Britain has … Continue reading “The Queen and her Prime Ministers”
Two hundred years on, the three Brontë sisters, Charlotte, Emily, and Anne, are still some of the best-loved novelists Britain has produced. Their enduring classics Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall conquer new readers in each generation and have inspired many other writers and artists. The bicentenary of their births, from … Continue reading “Brontë Anniversaries”
Friday 2 December is Shakespeare Lives in Schools Day around the world, part of the commemorations of the 400th anniversary year of the Bard’s death. William Shakespeare died on 23 April 1616, at the age of 52, in his native Stratford-upon-Avon. Yet his 37 plays are still played constantly around the world, and have provided … Continue reading “Shakespeare Lives in Schools Day”
The British Council has produced various films to celebrate the anniversary, modern, short versions inspired by elements of Shakespeare’s plays. Some are difficult for learners, language-wise, but we’ve selected these two for class use. Plus an interactive film from Shakespeare’s Globe. This film is a satirical homage to Hamlet, and the main character is a … Continue reading “Shakespeare Lives in Schools Webpicks”
Every autumn, Britain breaks out in verse for National Poetry Day, this year on 6 October. We often reach for poetry when we want to say something meaningful, whether it is in a birthday card, a graduation speech, wedding or funeral. The aim of National Poetry Day is to have people encounter poetry in unusual … Continue reading “Say it with a Poem on National Poetry Day”
William Shakespeare died 400 years ago, on 23 April 1616, at the age of 52, in his native Stratford-upon-Avon. Yet his 37 plays are still played constantly around the world, and have provided the basis for more than 1000 films. Britain had had grandiose plans for celebrating the tercentenary of Shakespeare’s death in 1916 before … Continue reading “Shakespeare 400”
Queen Elizabeth II is now officially Britain’s longest reigning monarch. On 9 September, 2015, she overtook Queen Victoria, who reigned for 63 years, seven months and two days, from 1837 to 1901. Elizabeth ascended to the throne on 6 February 1952, after the death of her father King George VI. He, as a second son, … Continue reading “Queen Elizabeth II: Longest Reign”